Imagine a place where you could tell the world exactly who you are. With so many networks to establish your online presence: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube etc, is having your very own ‘.com’ really necessary to stand out in this creative world? As a Content Producer I asked myself these very questions and after much back and forth, I decided that getting my own little place that I could house all my work under one roof was indeed an attractive concept. So lets explore why a creative person or brand could benefit from their own website.

Customise!

Personally, I wanted my website to display all of my work in a clear and accessible way. It had to be updateable so I could chop and change images and videos, depending on importance, and finally; I wanted a blog! A platform for me to write little entries detailing my creative process was such an exciting prospect. This all sounded nice but was it doable? Should I invest the time to getting this off the ground? Well that’s exactly what I did! As I sit here writing this I feel proud that my brand now has a small place on the internet and a real opportunity to grow.

WordPress

After much research I realised I needed a CMS – A Content Management System. This is different from a simple static site which is what I had previously. After much deliberation, I settle upon WordPress.org for my website. WordPress is free and has so many options for customisability including image galleries and blogging capabilities. Perfect! It took me a little time to master the basics but if you’re reading this right now, then all went well with my WordPress website.

Inspire

It is my aim to inspire people when they visit my website and that’s always my goal when I create a new piece of content. Leading with a content based design seemed like the best way to encapsulate my DHShields brand. A simple design, free from clutter and ads. It also had to be responsive, meaning it should look as good on a mobile device as it does on a laptop.

Professional

It is arguable that more people will visit your social media platforms than your website and whilst that might be true, it also brings an exciting opportunity for growth. Linking you website as a .com in your bio is professional and instills trust. You can design and showcase your brand exactly the way it is meant to be shown. Just imagine your content uninterrupted by ads and displayed beautifully on any device. That’s the true power of your very own website!

What’s next?

Moving forward, an e-commerce function to my website is definitely something I’m exploring. The opportunity of having an online shop would be advantageous to any growing business as well as independent creators. The possibilities are truly endless; adding as many pages as you like, updateable content to keep things fresh and harnessing a uniquely professional setting for your brand.

What are your thoughts about having your own website? Is it something you think is even relevant with social media being so prominent? It really isn’t as hard or expensive as most people imagine and I would highly recommend it! Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion. Don’t forget to follow me on social media (linked below) which will be updated with new post alerts as they come out.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you! I’m trying to keep these entries short and sweet and looking forward to posting more. Have a great day and as always, stay inspired.

Cheers!

Derek